Acre (Akko) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and its old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of remarkable density: Crusader vaults, Ottoman mosques, Bahá'í gardens, and a working Arab fishing harbour all coexist within the old walls. It is about 20 km north of Haifa and 130 km from Jerusalem.
The old city is built on a promontory that juts into the sea. Beneath the Ottoman-era buildings lies an almost complete Crusader city — the underground halls, refectories, and passages of the Hospitaller Fortress are astonishingly well preserved and can be visited. Above ground, the 18th-century El-Jazzar Mosque with its green dome dominates the skyline, and the Turkish Baths Museum next door holds remarkable archaeological collections.
Napoleon besieged Acre in 1799 but failed to take it — the defenders held out for 61 days. The city walls he attacked still stand and can be walked for free. The Khan el-Umdan caravanserai near the harbour and the atmospheric Old City Market are both worth exploring. A few kilometres north, the Bahá'í Shrines and Gardens at Bahji are the holiest site in the Bahá'í faith — among the most peaceful spots on the coast.